Going to the first door on his left, Arbor cracked it open to see a full dining area, large enough to host some thirty people. There was another door in the back, and when he walked to the other side and opened it, he found a back hallway, which he assumed was to be used by servants. The dining room was decorated in wood, rather than tile or carpeting. But instead of the mahogany, which was so common among the rich homes he’d seen, the floors were made of polished birch, giving the room a much more open feel.
The table was a few shades darker than that, and the chairs, thirty in all, matched perfectly. Arbor probably could have stood and admired this one room all day, but he had more exploring to do. Heading back into the carpeted study and lounge, he walked to the next door. Upon opening it, he found an entire pool, going from two to six feet deep and stretching a good thirty feet in length.
This area was dotted with lounge chairs, made of wicker and woven straw, though just by looking at them, Arbor would never have guessed it. A pair of massive glass-paned doors stood open to a large balcony, letting the fresh breeze waft in. Shaking his head in amazement, Arbor headed to the next room, which, as it turned out, was a bedroom.
The room contained a single bed with four posts, an oversized dresser, wardrobe, mirror, and vanity. There was also a small writing desk, four chairs, and a dozen other small trinkets and niceties that he didn’t even recognize. Moving across this room, which was also carpeted, he opened the far door to reveal a large bathroom, complete with a tub made of porcelain and an area for steaming. Another small door led off from that room, revealing a toilet and sink.
Arbor would have thought this was his room, but at that moment, Grak called out from behind him. Had Arbor not always been keeping his Perception Field on by now, he might not have heard her and been startled, which, he realized, might have been Grak’s intention.
“Come on! I want to see your room!” she said excitedly and very suddenly from just a foot behind him.
“You know, if you wanted to sneak up on me, you should probably learn to actually sneak instead of lumbering around like a horse that just ate a large meal,” Arbor said, turning to face the gremlin woman.
“You know,” Grak said as he pushed past her, “most women would scalp you for a comment like that.”
“Good thing you’re just you, then,” Arbor said.
He ducked easily, as Grak’s small fist sailed through the air where his head had just been moments ago.
“Cheater,” she muttered, earning her a laugh in response.
Entering the study/lounge again, Arbor pushed another door open, revealing a similar, but far more feminine suite.
“This is Karria’s room,” he said, exiting without even looking around.
In his mind, it already belonged to his sister, so he wasn’t going to be invading her privacy. Grak didn’t say anything to the contrary as he headed to the last door, the only one with another imprint. Arbor was aware that Karria would be getting a ring as well when she was found, a ring that would allow her into the living area. However, only his ring would open this door.
“Is it too late to trade bedrooms?” Grak asked as the door swung open.
“Yes,” Arbor said, walking into yet another lounge, this one far smaller than the last, but far cozier. A single bookshelf lined the walls, and a dark navy stained desk stood against the far wall. A huge wing-backed chair sat behind it, making it clear that this was for the owner of this majestic home.
A single door stood before him, and Arbor opened that to walk into the main bedroom.
“Are you sure about the trading thing?” Grak asked again. “Because I’d be more than happy to…”
“Not happening,” Arbor said, walking into the massive bedroom and gazing around in awe.
A gigantic monstrosity of a bed stood in the center against the far wall. It had to be at least three times the size of all the others he’d seen so far and was bedecked in blue and gray linens. Shining curtains were draped from the four posters and fell in elegant folds down to the floor. The floor itself was covered in more carpeting, this one, a mix of blues and grays.
His room contained the same wardrobe, dresser, vanity closets, chairs, and small table as the others, but his were far larger. There were several enormous windows as well, and with the drapes pulled back as they were, the room was quite bright. A single door, filled with glass panes, led out to a massive balcony, which, oddly enough, was walled off on all sides except the front. Arbor assumed this was done for safety and privacy, and he was glad that he had that.
Going off to the other door, Arbor found a similar bathroom to Grak’s, though his tub looked as though it could fit no less than ten full-grown adults comfortably. The toilet also appeared to be made of some shining silver material, and when Arbor approached and tapped on it, he was filled with immediate horror.
“Is this made of white gold?!”
Grak let out a snort as she bent down.
“There’s no way that… Holy shit, it is!” she exclaimed. “Who the hell needs a white gold toilet?”
“No idea,” Arbor replied. “But this is the first thing I’m having replaced. There’s no way in hell I’m going on that!”
“How much do you think it’s worth?” Grak asked, lifting the lid and peering in.
“Just judging on volume alone?” Arbor asked, eyeing the thing. “At least a few hundred thousand, if not more. What a waste!”
“You do know that there’s a lot more gold woven into the designs of this manor, right?” Grak asked, dropping the lid and heading out of the bathroom.
“I shudder when I think about how expensive this manor really is,” Arbor said. “And how rich the King must be, to just give it away.”
In his past life, Arbor had worked as a carpenter, and while his jobs normally pertained to building small houses or shops, he could appreciate the masterful construction that had gone into building this place.
“I actually asked Frunk on our way up,” Grak said as Arbor headed out of the room and closed the door behind him.
“Oh, yeah? How much?” Arbor asked, morbid curiosity leading him to not simply tell her he didn’t want to know.
“From the builder’s estimate at the time of construction,” Grak said, pausing momentarily to build suspense.
Arbor rolled his hand in a gesture for her to stop being dramatic, and Grak grinned as she continued.
“The manor, and only the manor, without including the grounds or any surrounding buildings, was worth…”
“Are you just going to keep pausing, or should I go ask Frunk myself?” Arbor finally asked.
“You’re no fun, you know that?” Grak said with a pout.
Arbor rolled his eyes, then pulled the door to his room open, as though preparing to go ask Frunk.
“Fine!” Grak called, half chasing after him.
Arbor turned with a raised eyebrow to see that Grak was once again smirking.
“The manor is estimated to have cost somewhere in the range of ninety-five to a hundred-and-five million gold.”
“What?!”
Arbor’s shout of disbelief was so loud, that Sebastian, who had only just arrived on the third floor to direct the servants holding Arbor’s belongings, could hear him.